THE future of Coate Water will be decided today.

A final decision on whether 1,800 homes and a university campus will be built on land near the beauty spot will be made public this morning.

John Denham MP, the secretary of state for communities and local government, is the man with the final say on whether development will go ahead.

He will base his verdict on a report compiled by planning inspector David Richards, who refereed the battle between the potential developers and Swindon Council at an inquiry in February.

If Mr Denham approves the project his decision will allow the Swindon Gateway Partnership (SGP) to build a 60 hectare university campus, 1,800 homes and 23 hectares of employment land on the site between Coate Water, the Great Western Hospital and the M4.

The University of the West of England has agreed to occupy the campus – which it hopes will provide a base for 10,000 students – if the development goes ahead.

Opposition to the development has been widespread with Swindon Council, the town’s two MPs and local groups speaking out against the scheme.

Jean Saunders, a member of Save Coate Coalition, said: “I am feeling optimistic that the right decision will be made.

“I hope the secretary of state will see that the development will have such a negative impact that he will throw it out.

“The overwhelming majority of people in Swindon would be absolutely delighted at that result.

“Certainly the 52,000 plus people who signed the petition against the development would be over the moon.”

February’s planning inquiry followed an appeal by SGP over Swindon Council’s delay in approving its planning application.

SGP argued its development would create employment and would provide a much-needed university for the town.

Swindon Council countered that Coate was the wrong location for the campus and that the development would take business away from the town centre.

The history of the development stretches back to 2003, when the University of Bath was set to occupy a university on the site.

When the university pulled out of the project in 2007 the relationship between Swindon Council and SGP soured. The council is now trying to persuade UWE to set up a university in the town centre rather than at Coate.